As part of a new post-type series, and to keep this thing fresh and interesting, I am going to start posting my answers to those long and much-dreaded motivational questions we’ve all had a go at BSing filling out. But to keep from making things too easy for you, I’m only posting my answers for applications in which I was flat-out rejected. No online assessment invitations, no telephone interviews, no nothing.

Little bit of a change in course on this post – though having tried my hand at global lager markets, it shouldn’t be a surprise. I thought for a change in scenery I would investigate a career into the extravagant and often headline-grabbing world of insurance. Why ever would you do such a thing you ask? Think of the dinner parties, the conversation massacres that might come of it!

My head is heavy with the weight of last night’s drinking hanging over it. I guess that’s a suitable way to exit an assessment centre with the world’s biggest beer brewer.

The prerequisite to this stage was a Skype interview, standard. It didn’t go as well as I’d hoped, but I got through. I was then followed up a week later and invited to attend the next stage. To note, ABI is a pretty cutthroat company. When they took over Anheuser Busch, they got rid of all the perks. Currently, they are on track to make savings of $500 million per year. So I found it quite surprising when I was invited to an assessment centre in France!

Currently sitting on a train to Bristol. There is a middle-aged man sitting opposite me wearing dirty painters clothes. He’s got a small bag with him carrying a few more items stained with paint. And he’s flipping through a book on graffiti. He’s not what I imagined Banksy to look like. Maybe I should ask him if he’s looking for a publicist.

I must apologize for this writing. I met up with some friends after my interview in London to drown away some sorrows, and so the details of it are not as fresh in my mind as they might have been. Anyways, just to clarify, this was one of those “What Not to Do” type interviews.

I think I’ve found one nice thing about the 18:03 out of London – the sunset. The sky is on fire outside west London and it has the train’s undivided attention. Is this some sort of metaphor? Is the sun setting on my constant back and forth from the big smoke? Has a new chapter begun?!

After submitting my CV and cover letter to FactSet, a month passed by and I figured a WMR had gone off somewhere. Then out of the blue, I received an email on Monday at 4:30pm asking me if I could be in London on Tuesday for an interview and assessment. Sure, I only plan my life one day in advance. Thankfully for them I have no life. And I know beggars can’t be choosers but that’s cutting it quite close. I always give extra kudos to companies who give plenty of notice.

The role I was applying for was a graduate trainee position working as an investment analyst for BA’s pension management team. However, all I knew going into the interview was that the role involved “working with fund managers in a supportive environment”. The ad didn’t say much. I wasn’t sure if they outsourced their portfolio decisions to investment banks (which is what most corporations do with their pension schemes) or if they made their investment decisions in house. Turns out, they did it all in house. They had a team of 25 people managing assets in excess of £14 billion. Extremely impressive. This was exactly the position I wanted. I only wish I had learned that before going into the interview….